How the Loathy Lady became a monster
by blondiegurl
Summary: Based on Chaucer's Canturbury Tales. It explains of how the Loathy Lady, in Arthurian legends came to be a monster and married to Sir Gawain of the Round Table. Helps if you know the story, Sir Gawain and the Loathy Lady. R&R! One-shot!


A/N: I know there are some mistakes, but it was planned that way. So please excuse any errors that you may see...anyways please read and review. If you feel it necessary, then flame, but don't expect me to listen to you. Anyways, without further ado, here is:  
  
**How the Loathy Lady became a 'monster'**  
  
"Oh, what should I wear?" Isabeau asked of her husband, Gawain.  
  
Gawain replied truthfully, "You should wear that green plaid dress."  
  
Isabeau's face turned from surprised to shock as she realized what dress her husband had mentioned. "My love, are you ill! I thought that I had that dress burned."  
  
Gawain turned beet red, as he had just given a secret away. "Ah...ahem...yes, well, Queen Guinevere didn't think that it should have been burned. She thought you might want it for tonight or some other night," Gawain turned even redder as he thought how Arthur and Guinevere would ridicule him, but his hopes brightened when he thought of how happy Guinevere would be.  
  
" Well...."  
  
Gawain was shaken out of his reverie by his wife, standing akimbo, waiting.  
  
"Well.... where is my dress?" Isabeau asked her loyal husband.  
  
In answer, Gawain snapped his fingers, then went to the wardrobe and brought out her dress.  
  
"H-how did you do that?" Isabeau stammered to her secretive husband.  
  
Gawain blushed as he replied, "Merlin taught me how to use some magic."  
  
Isabeau changed quickly and as Gawain held out his arm for her, he realized how that the green plaid made his wife look very beautiful. When they walked into the Great Hall, Gawain knew he had been right in thinking that his wife was beautiful, as there were audible gasps from around the room.  
  
As Gawain and Isabeau were being seated, a page came in and whispered in the King's ear. He groaned and asked the page a question. No one heard except Queen Guinevere, who's face whitened slightly. Arthur called up Sir Tristram to deal with the problem.  
  
As Sir Tristram was leaving, King Arthur waved to Isabeau to start her story. She stood and curtsied to her King and Queen, sat down and started her story. Her voice was enhanced with magic so everyone could hear her.  
  
"I was a princess daughter to King Gorels, king of Atlantis." There was a pause as Isabeau waited for the gasps to quiet. For Atlantis had been under the sea for thousands of years, and how could a woman live for thousands of years and still look so beautiful.  
  
Isabeau had to hold a dainty hand to her mouth and pretend to cough so no one would notice her laughter. As the gasps quieted, Isabeau continued with her story.  
  
"As I said, I am a princess of Atlantis. The main reason I have stayed this young for so long is by magic." Isabeau grimaced as she gave away her secret, her secret that had been hers for years, but now was everyone's secret. But at least they didn't know her greatest secret. Her greatest secret would still be hers, even if Gawain found out. But he would never find out, she hoped. As if tuned to her thoughts, Gawain groped for her hand and squeezed, comforting her  
  
"Yes, magic. My father was a man who dealt in magic, so I learned from him all the magic there was on Atlantis. My mother died in childbirth having me, but that is what my father said. My mother might still be alive." Isabeau tried to tell of her feelings, regarding her feelings that her mother had run away after she was born. "My father tried to explain who my mother was. He could only tell me her name, where she came from and what magic she dealt in. She came from an island, like Atlantis, but larger and called Britain. She was the sister to the King of Britain. She dealt in magic called black magic, though my father didn't know what is meant. Her name was Morgana le Fay."  
  
Isabeau stopped as she realized that a hush had come over the crowd. The King had paled and stood up, drawing his sword. The Queen had paled considerably and held the King's hand in sympathy or to hold him back, Isabeau wasn't able to guess. As she looked around the Hall, she noticed that the knights, squires and ladies had paled and looked worriedly at the King. Even the pages and attendants looked worried.  
  
Isabeau looked at her husband, noticed the tightly drawn lips and knew that she had said something terrible. As she wondered, the Queen spoke quietly to the King, but everyone heard.  
  
"Darling, she couldn't have known who her mother was. She was at Atlantis for God's sake!"  
  
That seemed to soothe the King. He sat, but did not sheath his sword. Queen Guinevere looked at Isabeau with sympathy in her eyes.  
  
"Maybe you or Gawain should explain what Isabeau obviously doesn't know, dear," Guinevere replied, to her agitated husband.  
  
"Her husband should explain to her about my sister and his aunt," the King nearly snarled out his answer.  
  
At this, Isabeau saw her husband go completely white. With a question in her eyes, she turned to her husband, a look of despair written on her face, as she barely understood the King's meaning. Gawain looked as if he was about to lose his stomach, but he started the story.  
  
"Uther Pendragon, father of our King was in love with the wife of Gorlois, the duke of Cornwall. They did battle, Gorlois fell and Uther married his widow. They had one child, King Arthur. After he was born Merlin took him away. Uther's wife had three daughters by Gorlois. They were Morgawse, Elaine and Morgana le Fay. The two oldest were already married, but Morgana was still a child, so she was sent to school. Arthur became King. Since then Morgana le Fay, my aunt, because my mother is Morgawse, had made trouble for King Arthur."  
  
At once, Isabeau realized why the King had reacted the way he had. Isabeau winced as she remembered who had turned her into the monster.  
  
"So, then will you rejoice if I tell you who turned me into the monster?" Isabeau asked the King.  
  
"Yes, but if it was my sister then I will grieve for you," the King spat out the word like it was some curse.  
  
"It was my mother who turned me to the monster," Isabeau said gravely.  
  
The King looked aghast. "Why would my sister do that to you, her daughter?"  
  
"She was afraid of my beauty, I think."  
  
Everyone laughed at this, for Isabeau was beautiful, but for the people who had seen Morgana le Fay knew that the only beauty found in Morgana was evil beauty compared to Isabeau's beauty. After he was done laughing, the King turned somber again.  
  
"Yes, my sister would do anything to stop her competitors of beauty. She is as jealous as a dragon guarding its hoard."  
  
While the King was talking, some servants tried to sneak out. The King noticed.  
  
"Why do you leave, my servants? There is a juicy bit of gossip." It was a rhetorical question, but the spokesperson for them answered.  
  
"Milord, you all must be fed."  
  
Amid the laughter of the logic of the servants, they fled out the door.  
  
As the laughter died out, the King made a promise to his niece. "Don't worry, I'll get your mother and make her pay for the unkind deeds she has done."  
  
Isabeau curtsied and replied, "Thank you, milord. Now because you made me a promise I will show you the greatest secret of my life."  
  
Amid gasps, Isabeau snapped her fingers and Merlin appeared. "I can bring back people who have gone from this world."  
  
Then she snapped her fingers again and her and Merlin disappeared.  
  
"Where did they go?" could be heard whispered throughout the Great Hall.


End file.
